Checkmate
by efurthy
Summary: 2 months after their victory in the pacific, it's not over yet. Category 5 kaiju are streaming out of the Atlantic. Desperate, the PPDC reboots the Jaeger program and begins to create the Mark 6. Chuck Hansen has miraculously survived the explosion, and is ready to get in kaiju fighting shape but faces a unique struggle. Also, he meets his match in a jack of all trades doctor.
1. Chapter 1

_Every person has an idea of how the afterlife will turn out. Some believe we will float up to the pearly gates, walk the gold streets and meet god. Others believe our souls are to be trapped on earth forever, only able to watch the world go by while we helplessly watch. The list goes on and on. If you had asked Chuck Hansen what he hoped for in his life after death, he would have said that he'd prefer there wasn't one at all. Chuck fully believed nothing on heaven could compare to piloting his Jaeger, Striker Eureka. Nothing god or whoever created the universe could prepare for him would match the excitement and purpose he felt while saving his world over and over again. No promises of paradise could sway this opinion._

_You can imagine how upset he was when he found out the afterlife was a bright white room. Or so he thought._

**Marlena:**

Marlena Krishinko was making her daily rounds in the Tokyo shatterdome's infirmary. Her talents had been reduced to curing the occasional common cold, and the flu outbreak that occured last week. A few staff members were due later this afternoon for a quick checkup. The only other soul that shared her office was a mantle great dane named Panda, her only companion in this city. The dog stayed glued to her side throughout the day, only stopping to lay down on her giant dog bed next to Marlena's desk.

"Pretty dull afternoon, huh sweetie?"

The dog looked up and cocked her head, then plopped it back down with a bored sigh in agreement. Marlena began to do some filing, filling out order forms for medicine and equipment. The sound of heavy boots walking into her room snapped her out of filing autopilot. She looked up to see the weathered face of Herc Hansen standing before her. The man expressed a sense of unflappability that could fool most people, but to the observant eye one could tell he was a man under constant stress. Especially when it came to his son. Marlena didn't need to know the two men on a personal level to tell their relationship was damaged at best, but no one in this shatterdome or any around the world dared make note of it in front of either. The Hansens were the Hansens, and that was that. Marlena believed on some level a majority of the staff here didn't care at all about their stiff affiliation. Their relationship didn't' effect their drift compatibility, and in the end that's all people paid attention to.

"What can I do for you ranger?" She asked, looking up into his gruff face.

"I wanted to talk to you about Chuck." He said simply. He wasn't a man of many words.

"I haven't checked on him today, but he hasn't made any improvements. I'm assuming you want to know my opinion on what your next step should be?"

His mask slipped for a bit and she was able to see the tortured soul that lay beneath. He tried his best to hide it, to be a strong face for the world but it was clear everything Chuck had gone through pained him to no end. He had made quick secret visits every single day for the past 4 months, talking to him and having Max lick his face... anything he could do to provoke a stir. Marlena sighed. What she thought about the situation and what Herc wanted were two different things. She believed it was too early to tell if Chuck would never wake up. Herc on the other hand couldn't stand to see his warrior son rot in a hospital bed, oblivious to everything around him and hooked up to life support. Herc wanted to pull the plug.

"As i've told you before, I think it's too soon to make any rash decisions. However, you ultimately hold the power to make that choice for him. If you still want to go through with pulling his plug, we can arrange something next week." Marlena responded grimly.

"Thank you. I will talk with you next week then." Herc said, and promptly spun around on his heel to exit the office.

Marlena stood and walked to the other side of her infirmary, down a hall and stopped at the second door on the left. She opened the door quietly and stepped in.

Chuck Hansen's room was covered floor to ceiling in fan mail, flowers, newspaper clippings, and other memorabilia from a world expressing it's gratitude. Figurines of Striker Eureka cluttered the window sill. A huge Australian flag hung above his headboard. Chuck himself lay quietly beneath it, and in his comatose state you could see how young he truly was. His face was serene instead of sporting an angry grimace, the deep rise and fall of his chest in sync with his artificial breathing machine. Marlena went about her normal duties, and noticed his stats were higher today. His heart rate and blood pressure were higher than they had been in months. She turned around to get her clipboard at a table across the room to make note of it when a soft groan stopped her in her tracks.

She whipped around towards the bed, almost not believing what she heard until she saw Chuck struggle to open his eyes, and he began to move under the light blanket that covered him. She half ran back to the bed, leaning over to see if he was truly waking up. He groaned again this time opening his eyes that were immediately looking all over the place in a panicked state. They finally found her face, and scrunched up in a way that made Marlena feel that he was trying to place where he knew her from, if at all.

"Chuck? Can you hear me?" She asked with caution. Chuck could be a ticking time bomb fully aware of his surroundings, she didn't want to set him off hooked up to machinery.

He looked over to her again sharply and tried to sit up. He took his left hand and started fiddling with his breathing machine, trying to take it out.

"Stop- I want to make sure you're alright before I take everything off."

He paused for a second, then went ahead and started to mess around with everything again.

"I said, _don't."_ Marlena stated and grabbed his hand, firmly taking it away from his face.

Chuck did his best to sigh and leaned back into his pillow looking straight at the room's white ceiling. Marlena observed his levels for a few minutes, making sure he was stable. She began the process of taking all of his life support off, talking as she worked.

"Somehow you managed to escape from Striker in an escape pod before she imploded. Pentecost must have sent you off in one and finished the job himself. Your body paid dearly for it- you were in intensive care and surgery for weeks. You've been unconscious for four months with no improvements until today. Gipsy was successful in destroying the alien life in the pacific, but two months after your victory there was a disturbance in the Atlantic. It seems we didn't close all the portals, and Cat V kaiju have been streaming out of it. The governments have been using nuclear warfare on them, but the higher ups have decided to reboot the Jaeger program. I believe we're due for the first Mark 6 any day now."

With everything off, Chuck opened his mouth to respond but Marlena beat him to the punch.

"I know you have a lot of questions, but you need to shut up and stay in bed for a while. Your body isn't going to be-"

"Like hell I am, piss off sheila." He snapped back, irritated with the entire situation. He tried to lift himself up and out of the bed only to be grabbed hard by the shoulder and pushed back down by Marlena.

"Are you trying to kill yourself? You barely survived as it was Hansen. You can't go waltzing off the first day back. There's things I need to explain to you. Stay here, i'll get you some water."

"Whatever."

Marlena walked over to the sink to get a glass of water, amazed at how quickly he had woken up. _Typical Hansen move, always ready for battle._ She thought to herself and turned in time to see him rip off the blanket with his left hand and take a step off the bed with his right leg.

"Stop! Wait!" Marlena started but it was too late.

Chuck went to take the next step off the bed, hell bent on getting out of this place. Marlena could only watch as he immediately crumpled to the floor.

"What the FUCK." He shouted out as Marlena reached out to help him up. "Don't fucking touch me." His voice was full of anger and venom. Chuck was a rattlesnake ready to strike.

He leaned forward, intending to pull himself up when he caught sight of his legs. Marlena watched as his face went from furious, to surprised, to full on horror. He looked up at her and he was a confused boy again, not understanding what was going on. Marlena solemnly took a look at her handy work. Chuck's left leg from two inches below the leg was amputated along with half of his right forearm. Both limbs were so shattered and burned they had had no other option, and couldn't risk infection in his languid shape. Her medical team had been working on prosthetics for him in the event that he did wake up, but neither were ready yet.

Chuck looked up at her, his mouth dropped open hard enough to hit the floor. He started moaning like a cornered wounded animal, rocking back and forth on the floor. Marlena ran over to the intercom to page the staff that Chuck was finally back.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chuck:**

It took him longer than he cared to admit to get a hold of himself.

Chuck glanced down at his stub, grazing his fingertips across the puckered and scarred flesh. His mind was blank, fuzzy, at a complete loss. The only thought that came to mind was _what the fuck are you going to do now?._ He felt utterly worthless- like a boat with a hole or an airplane with no wings. _You're damaged goods. _There was that voice again, the one that was constantly nagging and bringing him down. This was not it's first appearance, he had carried that baggage since his mother had died. It had evolved as he grew older to be his internal self-hating monologue. The PPDC had been his entire life, and it had been stripped away in an instant. This _woman_ standing passively in front of him was responsible for taking the only thing he lived for away. He was a ranger, DAMMIT, and should have went down with his ship. He wasn't a _deserter_ like the American, Raleigh. Chuck had lost his purpose, his entire identity, and there was nothing he could do but stare at the Jaeger shaped hole in his heart. A cool voice ripped him from his thoughts.

"Hey, look on the bright side. You're halfway to a pirate."

"_What?"_ Chuck snarled back, whipping his head up towards the doctor. Was she seriously trying to make a joke? WHO did she think she was? Chuck was irritated with her enough already from earlier by the way she had spoken to him like he was some petulant child. Trying to tell him what to do like she was his mother (even though in hindsight he _should_ have listened to her). She had moved closer and he was staring into a pale heart shaped face framed by dark, nearly black hair that fell in loose waves down to her waist. She was extremely petite, couldn't have weighed more than 110 soaking wet, and about 5'4". In fact, all of her features were dainty- her lips, hands, ears. By the world's standards, she was extremely pretty. By Chuck's, well, he hadn't exactly spent a lot of time paying attention to girls over the years. Sure, when he first rose to fame after his first Kaiju kill he had a torrent of female fans willing to throw themselves at him. He still did. As a young teen, there were a couple one night stands that never led to anything after the emotionless sex... He was much too detached to the outside world to ever have an actual relationship. Shortly after, he had been too busy to even give girls a sideways glance, which was probably why he'd never noticed this one. In short, women terrified him. His people skills were terrible as it was and since his mother had died and father never remarried or dated, he didn't know the first thing about how to go about dealing with one. He was a perfectionist and not knowing how to do something on an expert level gave him unbearable anxiety. Contrary to popular belief though, Chuck held women in a very high regard, probably due to his mother's sudden death and his lack of memories for her. He placed his mother on a pedestal, creating his own memories of how she was..which in turn demonized his father in his eyes. He held the same respect for women that a diver would hold to a great white shark- powerful, mysterious, and something to be observed but never meddled with. While he would never, ever, admit it, his rude responses normally formed from the fear and anxiety of not knowing how to deal with people on a personal level, which turned into anger. He never wanted to seem weak.

He took a second look at her, and she would have been the most innocent and meek person he had seen if it hadn't been for her eyes. Chuck found himself looking into a pair of large, dark grey eyes that betrayed everything her body naturally conveyed. They were the color of an ocean during a storm, and just as fierce. They regarded him with an intense, calculating intelligence that made it hard for him to keep eye contact. She had leaned forward to help him up, approaching slowly but confidently like she was trying to trap a wild animal. While she might have seemed passive before her body language and the way she looked at him gave off a dominance that even he questioned defying.. if only for a fleeting moment. She noticed him stiffen, and took her hand back.

"Just trying to lighten the mood. Can I help you up or do you want everyone to storm in here and find that you went ass over tea kettle? It's only us, you can put your ego aside for a minute."

She had a point. But, old habits died hard.

"Look, I don't know who you are but I don't need your help and I definitely don't need your stupid pity." He spat back, defense mechanisms deploying. She made him uncomfortable in a way he couldn't place.

The woman blinked, unperturbed.

"My name is Marlena Krishinko. I was your surgeon, nurse, you name it. I've been taking care of you for the past four months. After we thought the threat was over most of the other hospital staff left, so it's just been me. People are coming back of course, now that we realize that's not the case."

"Aren't you a little young to be that qualified and in charge..?" Her looks deceived her. She could have passed for 19.

She raised an eye brow at him, and looked like she was about to say something smart but decided against it.

"I assure you, I'm the best there is. Do you think they'd let me run this place alone if I wasn't? While i'm only 25 I excelled quite fast throughout schooling. You probably aren't aware, but at the rate people were getting hurt with the Kaiju we didn't have time to wait for a student to go through years and years of college. I was already enrolled when we figured out the attacks weren't stopping, but our government created a more hands-on fast track course. It worked out fine I'd say- you're still alive aren't you?" She tried to smile at him, to break the tension.

"You should have let me go down with Striker. That was my place and duty as a ranger." He replied quietly. Her smile dropped immediately and she became very serious.

"How dare you say that. Haven't you seen enough death to appreciate your life? Most would give everything they have to get a loved one back... you of all people should understand that. You disgrace your fellow pilots who fell in battle trying to protect people and save lives, and you slight Pentecost's sacrifice that allowed you to see another day. To see your family. Don't be so selfish."

The bluntness of her words were like a slap in the face, and Chuck did not appreciate being challenged. He grimaced and took a breath to cut back when the sound of claws bounding down the hallway accompanied with a set of boots reached his ears. He looked towards the door to see his father, Max and Raleigh Becket walk through. He and Marlena were still on the ground together, Marlena still positioned cautiously by his side ready to help him onto his feet (foot), and himself still a crumpled mess on the ground looking like he was about to run away where no one could find him.

"Chuck..?" His father piped up, looking down at his son with worry in his eyes. Raleigh's focus was on Chuck's left stump of a leg, then his right half of an arm, his mouth pressed in a thin line.


	3. Chapter 3

Marlena:

Marlena turned her head to acknowledge the new visiters, giving each a respectful head nod before she stood up and walked over to shake their hands.

"Nice to finally meet you Ranger Becket, I'm Dr. Krashinko."

"Please, call me Raleigh. Nice to meet you too, i've heard excellent things." He greeted her warmly.

The awkward tension that filled the room between the Hansen's could be cut with a knife. The Becket boy stood off to the side, leaning against the doorway with that sad understanding look he had sported since losing his brother. Max on the other hand charged forward, and Herc gave up the leash so the dog could scramble over to his master. He jumped into Chuck's lap, licking his face with the kind of selfless joy only dogs could express. It was then that Marlena witnessed Chuck's brilliant dimpled smile for the first time, and she couldn't help but smile herself.

Seeing Chuck with his dog was like watching an entirely different person. His entire form relaxed, and the grimace on his face disappeared as he doted on the animal in a completely separate universe of his own. After a few moments of reunion the dog settled in Chuck's lap, panting happily while his owner stroked his fur with his only hand. Instead of saying anything to his father, Chuck addressed Raleigh, all earlier irritation in his voice erased.

"Thought you had gotten rid of me Ray? Sorry to disappoint."

"Hardly. Glad to see you're back in the land of the living. Everyone was very worried about you, as you can see." He gestured to the rest of the room. "Just wanted to see how you were doing before I fly out. Mako and I are headed to New York City this evening- they're building a shatterdome there and are releasing the newest Mark 6 we're supposed to pilot. That's where the first Category 5 hit, and a month later one targeted Rio. So far we haven't had any readings from the breach but those two won't be the last."

"Give them hell for us."

"Of course." Raleigh turned around and gave Herc a clap on the shoulder and a sympathetic smile before sauntering out with a goodbye wave.

Hercules walked over to his son and extended his hand down to help him up without saying a word. Chuck hesitated at first, not realizing how he automatically recoiled at his father's touch. After a beat he set Max down and a took a firm grip, pulling himself up and balancing on his good leg. He hopped over to the bed and sat down, disconnecting himself from the physical contact with his father as fast as he could. Herc opened his mouth to say something, but stopped.

"It's fine. I'm fine." Chuck finished for him. "I'm kind of tired, I think I'm going to turn in." He turned away from his father and closed his eyes, pretending to try and fall asleep and denying any further communication.

Herc stood there for a moment, trying to hide his hurt. His hand hovered over his son's shoulder, torn on whether or not to touch him. He decided on the latter and walked away, defeated and dragging a whining Max behind him.

"Hey," Marlena whispered and stopped Herc as he strode past, "I'll take care of him, don't worry. I think Max should stay though."

"Right.. okay.." He handed over the leash and gave her a gracious look, then exited into the hallway. Marlena picked the bulldog up and set him gently on the hospital bed, where he promptly curled up against his owner's chest. Chuck looked like he was nearly asleep, despite his act earlier, so Marlena decided to give him some privacy and began to walk out of his room. There were a few things on her agenda that night she wanted to take care of before dinner.

"Where are you going? You're leaving?" A voice whined half asleep behind her.

"I have a few things to take care of before dinner, but I know someone who could give you some extra company." She opened the door and whistled softly. Moments later her dane came trotting down the hallway and into the room.

"That's a huge dog." Chuck commented, his eyes widening a bit at the sight of Panda.

"This is my sidekick Panda. She can take my place while i'm gone." She gave the dog a quick kiss on the head and gestured over to the bed, where she quickly jumped up and settled at the foot of Chuck's bed.

"You know how they say dogs resemble their owners? She reminds me of you." He mumbled, drifting back to sleep.

Marlena laughed. "I would say the same about your Max." The shock of coming out of the coma and falling had clearly taken a toll on him, and having his dog back had relaxed him enough that he could fall asleep. _Good, he should be out for a while and I won't have to worry_. She took some time to hook back up his heart monitor and synced it to her pager in case anything should happen while she was gone and headed to the Kwoon Combat Room.

Marlena sat on the ground in the Kwoon Combat room stretching. Outfitted a simple cotton t-shirt and stretchy workout pants, with her hair tied tightly behind her in a long braid. She liked to come down here some evenings to keep her fighting skills up to par, and to have some time away from the monotony of hospital business. Since everyone had either left or relocated to the shatterdome in New York, no one normally bothered her. The room lacked the old smell of sweat and adrenaline, replaced by clorox and bleach. She felt rather than heard a presence standing behind her.

"Who goes there?" She asked without turning around.

"Just me." The voice of the one and only Raleigh Becket sounded off behind her.

"Aren't you flying out tonight?"

"Yeah, we're leaving in about an hour. I just wanted to get one last look of the place before the long flight."

"How is she? Mako? I know it's been tough." The fact was hardly anyone BUT Raleigh had seen Mako in the past few months. While the entire PPDC mourned Pentecost's death Mako had been taken it especially hard for obvious reasons. When she was out and about she was glued to Raleigh's side, so her absence implied she was most likely holed up in her room this evening.

"Doing better... she's.. resilient." Marlena didn't have to face him to hear the smile and adoration in his voice. She stood up slowly and addressed the man behind her.

"How do you think she'll handle New York? With fighting again after losing Stacker?"

"She'll be fine. If anything it will make her better, vengence is kinda her thing" Raleigh joked. "Although i'm shocked at how fast the states cranked out this Jaeger, they used to take months to build."

Marlena shugged. "The truth is they probably never fully stopped the production of them.. no matter what the media said. I know there were official statements and decommissioning or what have you, but countries don't stay afloat by putting all their eggs in one anti-kaiju-wall shaped basket. The Jaegers were the only thing we had that actually worked. Even if the government wasn't funding the program, i'm sure there were private builders doing research. The technology has always been there, I think it just took the right stimuli to get it all going again. Just a matter of putting the parts together... and i'd say a Kaiju taking out the Statue of Liberty is a big motivator. I'd be willing to bet other countries have had Jaegers in production after the world stopped 'officially' making them, positive now that there's been another breach. With something like an alien invasion it's just not logical to have no backup plan. My only hope is the kaiju don't come out faster than we can get teams together."

Raleigh nodded in agreement, then completely changed the subject. "Do you think Chuck is going to turn out alright?"

"Physically, yes. For the most part he's healed, just needs some physical therapy to get used to his prosthetics when they come in. They should be put on the fast track for production now that he's awake, and that will make him a lot more comfortable. Emotionally he's going to have a long road ahead of him. This has been his whole life, and now with another breach it's going to kill him not being able to fight. I'm going to sign him up for therapy but whether or not he takes it seriously is a whole other issue."

Raleigh barked out a laugh at hearing about Chuck in therapy. "Yeah, good luck with that." His eyes flicked over to the assortments of weapons on the wall. "So what are you doing here? Do you fight?"

"Actually, yes. I joined the academy right when I was of age. I finished all of my training to be a pilot, and then to be a doctor for the PPDC shortly after. My parents were killed in the first attack on the bridge when I was 13, and I was sent into different foster homes. It was so crazy back then, people stealing and killing in a panic I had to learn how to defend myself and took an immediate interest." She looked into Raleigh's eyes, taking note that he was quite impressed. "I did quite well in the program, I hold the second highest female record for simulated drops/kills. Second to the one and only Mako Mori."

"If you did so well why did you never get to see any real battle?" He asked.

Marlena gave him a sad smile. "Oh, I think you know the answer to that. It doesn't matter how good you are if you can't find anyone to jockey with. I had plenty of trials with it seems like hundreds of people, but none were ever a match. By the end of all that the spots were taken and the Jaeger program started slowing down. So, I figured if I couldn't help in a Jaeger i'd do it a different way. But like I said, martial arts is a passion of mine and I come here to unwind and keep up with my skills."

"Now I'm curious. Care to spar?"

In response Marlena walked over to the far wall and took two of the worn sticks from their racks. She approached Raleigh and threw one to him. The second his hand was around it she charged, giving him no time to prepare himself. Raleigh was able to block her first blow out of reflex, momentarily taken aback by her aggressive style. He swung back, trying to make up ground he had lost with the nimble defensive moves he and Mako favored. Marlena on the other hand was entirely offense. Their sticks came together like thunder and bounced off eachother violently. Raleigh targeted her legs to try and get her down, but she was already in the air and swinging back in response. Her stick came into contact with his neck hard, throwing him off balance but not taking him down. She was on him again in an instant, showing no mercy and tagging him on his sides. She kept striking at him again and again, targeting all of his weak spots- solar plexus, head, eyes, groin, legs, etc. Internally she was learning his style and predicting his next move with frightening accuracy- her personal specialty. Raleigh was able to hold her off with his experience, but was unable to get the upper hand and was losing this uphill battle. She fought with the calculated precision of a machine, like a chess game you'd play on your computer and could never best. Although she had lost family due to Kaiju, Marlena did not fight from emotion like most people. She did not fight for revenge, or to let out the frustration that came from unfortunate events in her life. She did not fight for honor or glory. Her movements were void of anger, sorrow, or fear, and that is what made her such a deadly opponent. Her emotions never ruled her- Marlena fought with only the intention to win.

While Raleigh was a fair opponent and an excellent fighter he wasn't a match for this rhinoceros in a small woman's form. It was only a short manner of time before she saw an opportunity and took it to lay Raleigh out flat on his stomach, one foot on his back to pin him and the end of her weapon hovering above the back of his neck. If it meant anything, their incompatibility was evident but Marlena was simply pleased to have someone to spar with for once.

"Okay, uncle, damn!" Raleigh cried out, his voice muffled with his face in the floor.

Marlena smiled and stepped off of her opponent, offering a hand to help him up. Raleigh stood and massaged his neck and sides where she had managed to make contact.

"These are definitely going to bruise up. I never got close to laying a mark on you, I can just imagine how badly you creamed the other prospects." Marlena flashed him a pirate smile. Raleigh was neither offended nor upset that he lost. As good as he was, he was humble and that was why he was so favored around the world. He wasn't afraid to lose or be beaten by a girl. Marlena wished she could feel the same about losing.

"No one ever has, that's the problem!" She took Raleigh's weapon and her own and hung them back up in their respective places. She walked back over and extended her hand. Raleigh took it and gave it a firm shake.

"Good fight." They exchanged nods and Raleigh headed out of the room but turned back before leaving. "Hey, maybe you'll get your chance after all. We could use a fighter like you on our side."

Marlena found herself sitting down again, playing their fight over in her mind and reflecting on her days in the academy, not daring to hope or to dream about the chance to become an actual pilot.

Suddenly her pager started sounding off an alarm, and she was sprinting down the halls towards Chuck's room.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chuck:**

Chuck had managed sleep for all of 30 minutes, and when he awoke he was out of his mind restless. He sat up and down, then tossed and turned on the bed trying to get comfortable much to his companions' dismay. He tried laying on his side, staring at the heart monitor beside the bed and watching his EKG fluctuate. He sighed, sat up again and ran his hand through his hair that desperately needed a wash, frowning at a headache that was creeping it's way into his brain. He took inventory of his body and the condition he was in. Both arms were sore but maneuverable. His torso seemed fine enough, but he wasn't able to take a good look by himself. His right leg was fine, he was able to wiggle each toe and flex the heel and knee, while his other leg was a bit sore to move. It was a strange phenomenon, having an amputated body part. He felt like he should be able to move something down there, his brain knew he should be able to, and tried desperately but there wasn't anything left to receive the reception. It was maddening.

"Fuck." That was all he could manage. He gritted his teeth together and balled his hand into a fist, wishing there was a person or punching bag he could connect with. Anger again rose it's ugly head, and along with it came fear and guilt. Behind the frustration, what really bothered him was the fact he had failed as a co-pilot and as a ranger. _You never leave your co-pilot_. That was law, above all else. Chuck racked his brain desperately to try and remember what had happened in the conn-pod but only drew dissatisfying blank. What a weak thing to do, jump ship at the last second and leave your partner behind to die. Worse yet than that, he came back as a useless cripple. He felt weak, right down to his bones. He didn't have to take a look at himself to know he had lost all of his muscle and some weight... he must look like hell.

Even though his body had been asleep for months, the simple task of moving around the bed proved exhausting and he felt like he needed to lie down again... which increased the disgust he held for himself. Chuck hated having to need people, to have to ask for help. He'd rather kill himself trying before stooping low enough to ask for any kind of assistance.

A wet tongue against his hand pulled him out of his thoughts. He looked down into the chocolate eyes of his only friend in this world, smiling at the goofy slobbering face.

"Want to get out of here boy? You hungry? Yeah?" He asked and for the first time realized how hungry he was himself. The big digital clock next to the TV flashed 6:00PM- chow would be served shortly in the mess hall. Chuck scanned the room to see what he could use to get on his way. His eyes fell upon a set of crutches in the corner behind a screen. If he could hobble over to that corner and get one of the crutches, he felt like he could make it to the mess hall. From the infirmary it was a relatively short walk, SURELY he could manage. He dismissed the warning bell that sounded off in the back of his head, and against his better judgement removed his heart monitor cuff. The machine flatlined almost immediately, and went quiet. Marlena's dog panda regarded him with an air disapproval, and followed his every movement with bright gold eyes.

"Oh, stop. I'm fine." He gave both dogs a pat and scooted to the side of the bed, taking a deep breath and steadying himself before stepping down. He stabilized himself on the edge of the bed, which took a moment because he couldn't use his right arm as counterbalance. Feeling secure, he took four bold leaps to the corner of the room, each one gathering more momentum and throwing him off center. He had to stop and catch himself on the wall, nearly crumpling to the floor from hitting it with such force... But he had made it! He plucked a crutch from the wall and tested it out. It was a little short for his taste, but it would do. Partially hunched over, he practiced a few rounds around the room. It was a tough set of movements to perfect- taking a step with his right leg then pausing and bringing the left side up to speed. It was slow moving, but as effective as he could make it without a right hand to hold another crutch. Chuck stood in the middle of the room catching his breath as another wave of exhaustion hit him. This was tiring work indeed, but he would persevere. He had to, to prove to himself and everyone else he was perfectly capable and didn't need anyone's help now that he was awake. He hopped over to one of the visiting chairs and recovered Max's leash, taking the few steps back to the bed and securing it to his collar. Max jumped to the ground and was at his side, Chuck's hand curled in a death grip around the leash and handle of his crutch. Panda regarded him cooly from the bed in a way that was eerily too human.

Chuck slowly but surely reached the entry and after some trouble opened the heavy door, dragging himself out into the hallway. He had to rest on the outside wall but damn it he was on his way. He straightened up and prepared himself for a few more steps when Marlena burst from around the corner in a dead sprint, nearly colliding with him. She put on the brakes, shock written all across her face.

"You have got to be fucking kidding me." She hissed. Her mouth formed into a thin line, and her eyes were ablaze with fury. Chuck could see she was trying to keep her cool, to keep her temper in check but he could tell by the way her face tightened and her nostrils flared she was losing the battle. _God, her temper is about as bad as mine_. But, Chuck had had enough of this woman getting in his way. He chose to challenge her.

"I take it you're surprised to see me! I'm headed down for dinner, care to join?" He asked, too sweetly, too innocently with a triumphant smile.

"Get back in that room." She commanded flatly, her voice low and rough.

"I'd like to see you try and make me." He smugly shot back, making sure to enunciate each word before taking his back off the wall and taking a smart step forward towards the hospital exit.

Marlena responded by surging forward and gripping him by his shirt, slamming him into the nearby wall with impressive force and getting right in his face. Her anger surprised him, and he looked down in bewilderment to a pair of wild grey eyes that burned into his soul with a cold fire. Too late he realized she saw right through his tough guy act, though him, and now he was at her mercy. While Chuck considered himself more bark than bite deep down, a rumble of thunder in the distance, Marlena was a full on lightning. _Two components of a perfect storm_. The thought bubbled up out of his subconscious out of no where, and Chuck broke eye contact for a second to dissect where that could have possibly come from.

"Do you think this is a god damn game? Why do you think I was running up here like a mad woman? My pager went off and told me your heart had stopped, and then that you were dead. Dead! How do you think I would have felt, finding you dead when I should have been in close enough range to resuscitate you? I leave for 40 minutes and-! You are impossible! Such a CHILD. Are you even listening?!"

For the first time in his life, Chuck found himself at a loss of words. His mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water. This was not what he had expected in the least. If there was anything Chuck Hansen could respect, it was the desire to be the best and do the most you could with your job. To be reliable. This was something he understood, that he could stand behind and even admire about a person. Once you earned Chuck's respect, you had his full attention. He wasn't a man that was socially inept or cruel, rather he felt everyone wasn't worth his time or efforts until proven otherwise. He realized that if he _had_ been hurt, Marlena would feel the same shame and inadequacy he was going through right now. He couldn't bring himself to sass back at her when they were on the same page like this. He realized his mistake.

They stared at eachother for a beat, lost in the anger and electricity that flowed between them. In those brief moments Chuck took in what was in front of him- This annoying, maddening creature pinning him against the wall. Always in his way. Some of her hair had fallen from its braid, sticking out every which way like she had stuck a fork in an electric socket. Her mouth in a twisted snarl, teeth bared. Her skin glistened with sweat, making her workout clothing stick to her in a way that accentuated her soft curves that were normally hidden by scrubs. He could feel her breath on his face and the way heat radiated from her body unto his from their close proximity. The combination caused an unexpected pulse beneath the belt. He shook it off internally and met her gaze again. Some of the fury had faded from her eyes, but she held the contact, giving him an expectant look. She was waiting for an answer.

"I was hungry." Chuck replied simply.

Marlena let go of his shirt and stepped back, turning away from him and rubbed her hands over her face and hair trying to regain her composure. By the time she turned back around she was her placid, observant self again.

"Of course. I WAS going to bring you dinner back until I thought you had checked out on me. I know you get away with whatever you want to as a pilot, but when you're in my hospital you need to follow my rules. I need you to trust me." She was cool again, in charge. "I'm sorry about shoving you, I shouldn't have done that."

All Chuck could do was blink. With his experience, he assumed she'd continue to lecture and scrutinize him until he was blue in the face, but she didn't. It was over. Forgiven, and forgotten. He found himself at a loss, not sure how to handle this situation. He didn't want to fight with her. He really didn't. So, he took a different route.

"It's fine. I prolly deserve it."

Now it was her turn to be surprised. But, instead of saying anything immediately she took Max's leash and called her own dog.

"Let's go then, if you insist."

The mess hall seemed empty now that the Shatterdome was running on a skeleton crew. Marlena walked next to Chuck, holding both their trays while he hobbled beside her. They were quite the pair, and moved with the same aggressive unapproachable attitude no one wanted to mess with.. each with a dog at their side. All eyes were on them, and people weren't sure what to say. Chuck settled on one of the long empty tables and with difficulty (and great relief) sat down. He would never admit or show it, but that walk was the single hardest physical task he'd ever faced.

Suddenly, the hall broke out with cheers and congratulations. Everyone made a point to come to his table and see how he was, the last being his father. Herc sat down across from his son and next to Marlena.

"Wasn't expecting to see you out here so soon." Herc gave Marlena a questionable look. She shrugged back at him.

"It was important for his ego to be out here."

Chuck gave them both a dirty look but didn't say anything and continued to wolf down his food.

"It's already public knowledge that Chuck is out of the coma. We have reporters all but crawling up through the sewer pipes to try and get a picture or interview." Herc said and rubbed his hand across his forehead, clearly annoyed.

"I am sitting right here you know." Chuck said, glaring at the other man. "Let them in, I'm ready for my closeup!"

Herc pursed his lips and chose to ignore his son. The trio ate in silence, with Herc picking at his meal rather than eating any.

"I have to leave for New York next week to run the new shatterdome and assist with assigning pilots to the new Jaegers that are being released shortly." Herc said out of no where.

"What am I supposed to do then?" Chuck asked.

"Stay here until you get your strength back. You are set up for physical therapy, psychological sessions, and have prosthetics on order. Once you're well enough to handle yourself you'll be flown over also. You won't be able to pilot but your knowledge will be crucial to the new rangers." Marlena answered for Herc.

Chuck glowered down into tray. He couldn't stand the thought of being left alone here to rot (for any amount of time) while everyone else was out defending the world. And therapy? Really?

"I'm done." He stood up with as much grace as he could muster and stormed out to the best of his ability, towing a confused Max behind him and taking great lengths to make some kind of scene. Herc turned towards Marlena.

"I'm sorry about him, really. Thank you for keeping an eye on him."

"Please it's not a problem. He's not as big and bad as he thinks. By the way, I should have your prescription in by this weekend. It's new and is supposed to help with.. well you know.."

"Right. Well if you'll excuse me I have a stack of paperwork in my office that needs my attention." The man got up from his seat and strode the opposite way that his son had went, aiming towards the headquarters. Marlena and Panda exchanged a look before following Chuck into the corridor.

Chuck had really pushed himself to get to his old room as fast as he could and was wheezing by the time he found it. He could hardly get his hand to stop shaking enough to open the door. Max whined at his feet, fretting about his condition. The wide metal door swung open to reveal his room just like he had left it. His notebook on the small desk, the pictures and newspaper clippings from Striker's victories scattered along the walls. Folders with all of her kills filed alphabetically by name, each one containing every detail of the fight. Chuck was much more organized than anyone would probably give him credit for. The small bed was made up, it's itchy cotton sheets still smelt of a moldy laundry room. The lounge chair in the corner had his leather jacket hanging over it, with three new kaiju heads stamped on the back that stood out brightly on the dark fabric symbolizing Raiju, Scunner, and Slattern. Herc must have done that after the explosion. Nothing had been moved or touched. He hopped over to his bed and sat down, reveling in the feeling of being in his own bed, in his own private room even though it meant risking not being able to get back up as the bed was so low to the ground. He only had a few moments of peace until a loud rapping was at his door.

"What do you want!" He shouted, unconcerned with who it might be on the other side.

Something like "I figured you'd be here" mumbled from across the other side, and who else but Marlena came walking in.

"You can't just walk into peoples rooms uninvited!"

Marlena ignored his complaint and looked him up and down. "You look awful. I came to help clean you up."

"You mean bathe me?"

Marlena scoffed. "I did your surgeries and i've been tending you for months. I've seen all of that. Multiple times." She motioned to his body. "It's my job and you aren't going to be able to do it yourself the first time." Without another word she walked into his bathroom and ran the shower. By the time she came into the main area Chuck was up struggling with his shirt.

"Here, let me help you. Just focus on not toppling over alright?"She strode over to him and held a hand out before touching him, asking permission in a sort of way. Chuck cupped his fingertips under her chin and lifted her head up to meet his eyes, their faces inches apart.

"If you insist." He purred, mocking her from earlier and cranking up the charm. If she was going to do this he was going to do his damnedest to make her at least a little bit uncomfortable... a little payback was in order. Normally he would have chosen something demeaning or sarcastic, but since this tactic was neither effective nor deserved on Marlena's part he would try this instead to try and get under her skin. Marlena rolled her eyes and yanked his shirt off with as much zest as she could manage without tipping him over.

"Come on." They stepped into the bathroom. He held on to a towel rack while Marlena slid his plain hospital scrub pants off his hips and to the floor. She had him jump to get out of them, and he worked his way into the shower. The warm water felt luxurious as it ran down his body, the heat and steam relaxing his sore muscles.

"Hold on to that bar and i'll wash your hair. Stand still and then I can rinse it off with the detachable shower head." Marlena said calmly. She was taking great care to keep her eyes shoulders up with him.

"You sure you wouldn't like to join? It would be much easier..." He offered, and gave her a slow sexy smile.. really wanting to make her squirm. Chuck knew he was attractive, and worked it accordingly.

"Quit it." She warned, but had a playful glint in her eye. He grasped the nearby handle inside the shower, making himself as low as he could without losing balance. Marlena was a good 8 inches shorter than him and it was going to be a struggle to reach. She lathered her hands up and massaged the soap through his strawberry blonde hair.

"Mmm. You're quite good at that you know?"

"Thanks.." Marlena continued to work the soap in, giving his scalp a good rub and lightly scratching with her nails while she slid her fingers back and forth.

"Been a long time since anyone's had to wash my hair for me." He smiled at the thought and continued. "My mum was the last..." His voice trailed off at the end, a little higher pitched from the pain of bringing up his mother.

Marlena's eyes flicked up immediately to his, full of understanding.

"Hey.." she said softly, placing her hand on his bicep. "Time to rinse." Marlena plucked the shower head from above her and used it to rinse the shampoo from his hair, careful to not get any in his eyes. Chuck watched her intently, taking note of how concentrated she was with this menial task, how serious she took it.

"Alright. Now for your body." Chuck held his position and allowed Marlena to scrub him. She did it professionally and efficiently, it was clear she'd been doing this kind of thing for years. She turned the shower off and handed one of the thin towels the shatterdome provided to Chuck. He dried himself off single handedly and awkwardly pulled on a pair of sweats Marlena had retrieved from the other room. He stood in front of the mirror above his sink and took a long disappointing look at himself.

His eyes stared back at him, dull and sunken in his face , his cheekbones protruding a bit from losing weight. He resembled his father more than ever, with that exhausted stressed out look etched across his face. His normally broad shoulders and hulking arms seemed tiny in comparison to his normal physique, all muscle definition gone.

"Don't dwell on it Chuck. You'll get your 8 pack back in no time." The sarcastic voice of Marlena reached him from the chair in the other room. Chuck grabbed his crutch and stumbled out making a bee line for his bed. "I'm going to guess I won't be able to convince you to sleep in the infirmary so I can monitor you."

"Nope."

"I figured. I'll be on the chair if you need anything then."

"Seriously?"

"You've had a pretty eventful day. While i'm pretty positive you're out of the woods with trouble, I still need to check up on you. And since I can't trust you with a heart monitor i'm taking it upon myself to watch you sleep."

"Wow. That's not creepy at all."

"Yell if you stop breathing!" She joked and took his desk chair, propping her feet up on it and using his jacket as a pillow. Without permission, he might add. Chuck turned off the light by his bed and grumbled to himself, fumbling with the covers. Marlena really was quite a confusing type. While he was tired to the bone he couldn't fall asleep, mostly in part to Marlena twisting around on the chair at a constant rate. Chuck had fallen asleep in that chair before and knew it was uncomfortable as hell.

"Could you quit with the moving already? You're keeping me awake." He mumbled from beneath his blanket.

Marlena sighed in response and stopped thrashing around. For all of 5 minutes.

"Okay, that's it!" Chuck sat up abruptly and turned the light back on. "You can share my bed if you keep quiet. You're driving me bloody insane."

Marlena gave him a skeptical look.

"Oh for christ's sake i'm not asking for a cuddling session! For someone who fearlessly bathes grown men you sure are skittish about sharing a bed!"

"Fine." Marlena walked herself to the other side of the single bed and laid down, turning on her side and scooting as close to the edge as possible. This must have proved to be uncomfortable however, because she was turned over facing him within minutes but she fell asleep immediately. Chuck was on his back and looked down at the woman next to him. In her sleep she looked every part of a young innocent woman, completely harmless. The irony of that thought made him laugh to himself. Although they had only met today, he couldn't help but admire her. She as fierce, and strong. A true leader. Smart, witty, and knew what she wanted out of life. She saw people, really saw them and didn't take anybody's bullshit. But, at the same time she had such patience and kindness. It was quite fascinating to Chuck.

He turned out the light again and settled down onto his pillow, resisting the urge to move a strand of hair that had fallen over Marlena's face and drifting to sleep.


	5. Chapter 5

**Hercules:**

Herc had spent most of the morning searching the shatterdome for Chuck. He had assumed he would have found him at breakfast, but there was no sign of him nor the doctor, Marlena. His next stop had been the hospital wing which had turned up empty as well. Lastly was Chuck's room, and the whining on the other side after his knock confirmed he was inside. When no one answered the door or yelled back, Herc helped himself and opened the door that no one had bothered to lock. Max and Panda greeted him at the opening, tails wagging and tongues out.

"Chuck?" He called out, hesitant. The last thing he needed today was a pissing match at 8 in the morning.

He looked over to the bed and was taken aback by what could have easily been he and Angela some 20 years ago. It wasn't the first time he had found his son in bed with a woman, but this wasn't the normal haphazard one night stand Herc had found himself walking in on from Chuck's teenage years. The kind that were typically paired with with the sheets thrown about and clothes scattered around the floor, both teens drunk or hungover or somewhere in between on opposite sides of the bed. Today his son was fast asleep on his back, his good arm slung protectively across the girls shoulder with her clung around him like ivy on an old house. Fully clothed, he might add. The intimacy of the moment left Herc feeling a little embarrassed, like he had intruded on some private moment even though he knew he shouldn't feel that way.

The doctor _did_ remind him of his late wife, and not just in the way she looked but with her intelligence, her good heart, and her fire (Chuck had gotten all of his spunk from Angela). They had spent many early mornings in Sydney like that, curled into eachother like a ying yang with her hair always getting caught in his scruff as they watched the sun rise before he had gone to work. The ache in his heart from missing her sharpened with the memory.

He tried knocking on the wall to rouse either, but they didn't stir. Max was pawing at his leg, wanting to be taken out and fed. Panda waited patiently by her lead and looked at him expectantly. Maybe it was the thought of his wife, or maybe it was the way his son looked so at peace, but he didn't want to spoil the moment and it wasn't like he needed Chuck to do anything anyways. Instead of pondering on how they'd gotten to that point he collected the dogs leads and took them out, closing the door softly behind him. He walked down the hall, thinking of the way Angela would playfully pout when he had to finally get out of bed to change for work, and how she'd pull him back down every time for one last slow kiss, how her lips were like honey. Or how he loved to run his fingers along her collarbone while she laid against him reading her book in the evenings. But mostly he thought of how grateful he was to Marlena that she had staved off his choice to take Chuck off his life support. Losing his son would have been the last straw that sent him spiraling into a pit of despair he couldn't see himself recovering from.

* * *

Herc had been dozing off in his office when the skype call came through.

"Hansen." He grumbled while rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

"Long time no talk mate!" The familiar grumble of the old engineers voice brought a smile to his face.

"Too long, I know. What can I do you for Julian?"

"I have a surprise for you." The camera's view panned back to reveal the Sydney shatterdome, and inside the unmistakable foot of a Jaeger.

"What.." He started and the camera moved up, and up, and up to show the top of the giant mech, it's conn-pod being positioned by huge cranes.

"We're calling her Medusa Dare. We want you and Chuck to pilot her."

"We can't, you know about Chuck.."

"Glad you mentioned that!" The man cracked a devious smile. "We made a special boot inside the conn-pod so he can pilot, and our brightest minds came together and created a mechanical hand that he can wear both in and out of the Jaeger. He'll be good as new!"

"You're kidding."

"I wouldn't shit you! We made robots that can be ran by the human mind, making one hand that can be controlled in the same way wasn't that far of a stretch friend."

"I don't know what to say.. Sydney isn't a target anymore, why was this made?"

"After the success with Striker Australia wants in on the program again, it's that simple. We're sending her to New York to meet up with you, then you can decide what to do at that point. Take the boy, get him back in shape and in the saddle and kick some ass for us. I've got to get going though, take care Marshall." He waved and clicked off the program.

Herc leaned back in his chair and ran his hands through his hair with a sigh. This was going to be all over the news in a matter of time, and with the spotlight on the Hansen duo stepping back into a Jaeger again he was going to have a hard time explaining to everyone why he couldn't.

How do you go about telling the world you have a brain tumor and can never drift again?


	6. Chapter 6

**Marlena:**

Marlena was warm.

Much too warm, in fact for being in a shatterdome that usually operated on freezing in a bed with one thin sheet to speak of. She was coming to, in those small moments before you fully wake up where everything is pleasant and you don't know where you are just yet. She let out a contented sigh and snuggled back down into the bed, not ready to wake up when her cheek brushed against soft hair. Marlena froze and opened her eyes. _Oh my god_. She hadn't, she wasn't...

She was.

She was curled around Chuck Hansen's broad frame, her head in the hollow below his collarbone on his bare chest, an arm lazily slung across his torso, and her leg hooked around his thigh. The full monty. Then interestingly enough, Chuck's arm was wrapped around her shoulders, pinning her to his body. _Oh my god_. She wasn't sure how to handle this- try to slip away without him noticing? She tried to disengage herself as quietly as possible, but Chuck started to stir and his grip around her tightened.

_Shit. Now what._

Internally she was panicking, worrying about his reaction, but if she was being honest with herself Marlena didn't mind being enveloped by Chuck one bit. It didn't feel alien like she would have guessed, rather it was almost natural, and surprisingly comforting for hardly knowing the guy. He was a bonafide ass, no doubt about it, but she saw through the abrasive front he put on and she knew at the end of the day he was a good man. She glanced over to his nightstand and saw the digital numbers flashing 11. They had way overslept. Whether she wanted to move or not, they needed to get up before someone noticed.

_Here goes nothing._

"Chuck? Uh-" She gave his stomach a tentative poke and tried to wiggle out from underneath his grasp and he groaned in protest like a teenager being woken up for school. She gave him another gentle shove and his eyes popped open and looked down at her. He removed his arm immediately but didn't say anything. Marlena backed off and propped herself on an elbow, gauging his reaction. He was being quite hard to read, and the fact that he didn't immediately wig out worried her. He looked around the room briefly.

"Where are the dogs?"

"I just woke up too, didn't even realize they were gone yet." Great. Now she was sure someone had spotted them in bed together, and the last thing she needed was for it to get around that the 'well esteemed' doctor was found shacked up with her patient straight out of a coma. Chuck was eyeing her with a scrutinizing gaze, she could almost hear the gears in his head turning like he was trying to piece a puzzle together. But any thoughts he had about how he'd woken up this morning weren't about to be shared with her which left her feeling even more uncomfortable. Instead he reached into a drawer by his bed and pulled out an old tshirt, but struggled to get it on.

"Here-" She offered and pulled the other half down. He stiffened at her touch but let her help, then grabbed his crutch and headed for the door.

"I think I have an idea of where they might be." Chuck opened the door and walked out, leaving it open behind him. Marlena drug herself out of the bed and tried to smooth her hair and clothes- both attempts were unsuccessful. She left the room, closed the door behind her and quickly caught up with the man. She felt like she was doing some variation of the walk of shame, even though they hadn't done anything to be embarrassed about. Why was he able to get such a rise out of her? First with her slamming him against a wall out of rage, and now feeling like some school girl getting caught cheating on a test. It wasn't like her to come apart at the seams over silly things like this- Chuck Hansen rubbed her in a certain way and she couldn't place if it was the good kind or bad.

They reached the Marshall's office soon enough, and Chuck all but kicked the door in. Herc looked up from his desk, unsurprised with his son's act of agression.

"Look who finally decided to wake up." Herc's tone was cold and sarcastic and made Marlena feel awkward for being there. The man was not in the mood for any type of foolishness. Chuck bristled at his comment and opened his mouth to retaliate when Max and Panda came trotting from behind Herc's desk. Marlena collected Panda's leash and backed out of the office.

"Thank you Marshall, I've got to get going but i'll speak with you later today?" He waved in acknowledgement of her comment but didn't speak or look at her, his eyes glued to his son's. They obviously had something going on so she made herself scarce as fast as she could, closed the door behind her and headed to the hospital wing. Almost immediately raised voices were pouring out from behind it, and it was quickly turning into a heated argument.

* * *

She waited a few hours before tracking down the Hansens.

She stopped by Chuck's room first, gently rapping on the door. He took his sweet time opening it and let out an exasperated sigh when he saw her.

"What do you want?"

"How are you feeling?" Chuck looked awful. His eyes were rimmed red and bloodshot like he had been crying for the past hour.

"Fine. Can I help you or what?"

Marlena swung her hand around to reveal a prosthetic leg. "I've got a gift for you." She threw him a half smile and pushed past him to enter his room, sat on his bed and patted the spot beside her. He huffed and sat down next to her. She made quick work of showing him how to take it on and off and offered a hand to help him stand up. He was a bit wobbly at first, unsure of how to balance his weight on it but got the hang of it quickly.

"I think you'll be happy with this. Prosthetics have come a long way in the past years, once you're used to it you won't even notice a difference." Chuck shrugged and looked down. He was still shaky, and it wasn't from the new leg. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"What? No, i'm fine. There's nothing to talk about."

"Look at me," He flicked his eyes over to her and she could see he was in pain, clear as day. Not from something physical though- this was something more, rooted deep in his psyche. He had that cornered look on his face and she could_ feel_ that he wanted her gone, didn't want to talk about it, couldn't talk about it. He wasn't getting off that easy, she was going to rectify the awkwardness from this morning whether he liked it or not. She crossed the room to stand in front of him and looked up to his face. "You can trust me you know."

"You're always saying that."

Marlena rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. "I've said it once, maybe twice, but seriously Chuck, you can. It must be hard keeping everything bottled up like you do."

"Why are you doing this? I doubt it's part of your job description to psychoanalyze your patients." His tone was rough, defensive.

"I'm not trying to. I just think you need someone to talk to, that's all." Chuck sneered at her but it was a pathetic attempt and didn't reach his eyes. She'd hit it right on the bullseye.

"After our yelling match my old man told me something."

"Yeah..?" She prompted gently.

"Australia cranked out a Jaeger, made it 'specially for me with you know.." He glanced at his absence of a right arm before continuing. He seemed to shrink before her eyes, his walls coming down. "I thought that's what i'd want, to get back in the ring but I don't know.."

"You don't know if you can." She finished for him. Thinking it was one thing, but hearing the truth out loud was another. He recoiled a bit and looked her dead in the eye, and that look conveyed all the affirmation she needed. She was two for two.

"Can I be straight with you? If anyone on earth could, it would be you. You're a lot of things Chuck Hansen, a stubborn bastard being one of those things, but you aren't a failure or weak in any shape or form. If it's what you want, you can get it done- you're already the best pilot out there." It occured to Marlena that this might be the first positive reinforcement Chuck had ever received. He had been raised as a weapon, not a person, and was just used to following orders.

"That's not the only thing. Dad said he wasn't going to co-pilot with me. Wouldn't tell me why, he just refuses to. I've never drifted with anyone else, besides Stacker. We have our problems but.." He was struggling for the right words and already starting to squirm from revealing this much. Marlena thought it best to quit while she was ahead- Chuck opening up about anything was a huge deal and she didn't want to spoil it by forcing answers out of him. She understood what he meant. Obviously Herc hadn't mentioned his medical issue to Chuck, so she made a mental note to confront him about it. There was no way that conversation was going to end well.

"I understand, that's totally natural. But like I said- you'll be fine and I'm sure they'll find you a great partner." She was trying to be optimistic for his sake, but he wasn't convinced and neither was she. They both knew finding a co-pilot for Chuck was going to be a fucking mess no matter how you sliced it. If some poor soul was able to keep up with him in the Kwoon, any type of failure on their part in the drift was going to completely ruin the experience. He would have no time or respect for people who couldn't keep it together out in a Jaeger, especially at this point in the game... Category 5's weren't something most newbies could jump in and take on and it was just going to get tougher. Marlena took his hand and gave it a gentle squeeze and tried to give him a reassuring smile and turned to leave. Chuck tightened his grip and pulled her back.

"Thank you for the leg." If he wouldn't have been straining to get the words past his pride she would have laughed at his choice of wording.

"Anytime." Marlena flashed him a smile which he mirrored politely back and she headed off to find Herc, reveling in the small victory that was peeking behind Chuck's shell. And, bonus, he had actually said thank you.

* * *

She found him in the mess hall signing order papers and reviewing shipments that were due to come in for the next few months. He was alone at a table up to his eyeballs with paperwork. She sat down across from him and placed a pill bottle on top of the form he was looking over.

"Once a day with food, and be discreet about it. This isn't exactly legal yet- got it way faster than I expected."

Herc picked up the bottle and opened it, popping one of the capsules into his mouth.

"Guess the black market ships faster than FedEx, yeah?" He graced her with a genuine smile despite his worn expression. Marlena had grown to like Herc a lot over the past few months, even though their relationship had been turbulent at times. When she first diagnosed his tumor he proved to be just as hard-headed as Chuck and refused to take any type of action against it. She had argued with him on multiple occasions about what she wanted for him but he had always refused treatment that would ultimately set him and the PPDC back with the time he'd need for recovery. But when he started to go into violent mood swings and weeklong migraines because of the way it was pushing on his brain he finally came to trust Marlena's opinions. This was the first illegal alternative they'd attempted, and they were running out of options.

"It should help with the pain for one, and it's supposed to destroy the tumor cells. We're lucky it isn't cancerous. I think I can operate on it though if this doesn't work, you know."

He gave her a warning look. "No. We've talked about this."

She dropped it. It was a hopeless with these men. "I know you haven't told Chuck. Why?"

"How do you know I haven't?"

"Told me about the Jaeger and that you weren't going to pilot with him."

"He told you about all that?" He asked, legitimately surprised. She nodded back. "I just.. I can't yet. Kids been through so much already, I don't need to dump this on him. Maybe when this is all finished, when it won't effect his drift. We need him for this, he's the most experienced one we have besides Raleigh. Don't mention it to him, okay?"

"I'm not allowed to disclose that information anyways, but you know I wouldn't. When are you two leaving for New York?"

"Sooner than I had planned, that's for sure. The Jaeger should drop in a few days, they just finished her this morning. Will Chuck be able to fly so soon?"

"He's healed, so yes. But on that long of a flight it'd be best if he was monitored. I'd like to tag along if you don't mind."

"Of course, there's nothing here for you now anyways. I'm sure they could use a brilliant mind like you in New York."

"But I'd also like to submit myself as a candidate for a pilot. I didn't think I'd get the opportunity again." She wasn't asking.

"I saw your scores, near perfect if I remember right. Rumor has it that the surrounding countries are making two units- one to protect their coastlines and one to assist with taking on the breach, we're going to go ahead and base out of NYC. If you're compatible with someone we'd love to have you on."

"Thank you Marshall." She gave him a polite nod and walked off to her room to pack, grateful he didn't address finding her and Chuck in bed together this morning. It was going to be a long couple of days.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chuck:**

It had been a dull three days.

Chuck had spent most of his time holed up in his room and hadn't exactly talked to anyone. He left only for meals and late night workouts, trying to get his balance and strength back. The doctor hadn't been kidding when she mentioned prosthetics had made leaps and bounds- the new leg was better than his real one. The way it responded to weight and movements was superhuman- it made him much more fluid and made his natural appendage seem like slow dead weight. That was the hard part about the balancing act- trying to synchronize his natural leg to the speed of the other, rather than compensating for the bulky awkwardness he had expected. The fitness training he had been working on deemed itself more difficult yet between having to take break after break and the incredible soreness the next morning he hadn't known since stepping into the Academy as a young teen.

He yanked on his boot and stood up, thankful they didn't require any type of tying. He pulled his arm through his Striker Eureka jacket and shrugged the other end over his right shoulder. The sleeve hung limp on that arm below the elbow, swaying weakly with each movement. He didn't care. He picked up his large duffle that held all of his belongings and took one last look at his room before closing the door and heading to the launch pad with Max in tow.

* * *

His old man was already there waiting on him, and next to him Marlena. His walk hesitated for a moment at the surprise of seeing her there that was quickly encompassed by another emotion. For whatever reason, he was g_lad _to see she was coming on the trip. _Someone to talk to._ The thought was unwelcome in his mind. There was a job at hand here, he didn't need to be making friends and wasting time on that sort of thing. He needed to focus. But focusing was hard with the way she was smiling at him, like he was an old friend she hadn't seen in a while (even though it had been a mere three days). Her normally wavy hair was straight today, reaching the top of her pants when it wasn't wildly flying around in the wind. She didn't make any attempts to control it. She was dressed similar to he and his father instead of the regular scrubs, and one pant leg had rolled up to reveal she was wearing a pair of cowboy boots. _Cowboy boots. _Interesting.

"Glad to see you've got the walk down. Must have done some practicing." She called out when he had finally reached the group. She was genuinely happy for him, what a concept. Her kindness put him off a beat.

"Uh.. yeah." He stammered, feeling his face get a little red. Why was her simply being nice so disconcerting to him? It's not like it was the first time anyone had smiled at him and been friendly. But this was different, she wasn't trying to get a good interview, or get him to pick up some kind of shift, or needed him for a favor. It was the pure sincerity and thoughtfulness of it, that someone cared. Something he wasn't accustomed to. He dealt with it by helping himself onto the small chopper and sat down in one of the jump seats. This particular one had 3 seats to each side facing eachother, and two seats up front for the pilot(s). He picked Max up and set him on his lap and tried to relax. This was going to be a long uncomfortable flight.

Herc entered next and took the second seat next to the pilot, but not before shooting Chuck a look he couldn't place. Marlena entered last, closing and latching the door behind her. She took a seat across from Chuck and placed a huge dog bed on the floor next to her, but her dane insisted sitting on her lap as well which she welcomed. The dog's long front legs were on the floor with her other half folded up against her owner. He looked to the right and noticed three thick books, each worn and battered. _Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, The Complete Tales and Poems of Edgar Allan Poe, _and _The Odyssey. _Chuck must have been looking at them funny, because Marlena's face darkened immediately, warning him but at the same time daring him to say something.

"I take it you're transferring to the New York shatterdome to work in the hospital there?"

"No. Meeting up with the candidates to see if i'm compatible enough with anyone to pilot one of the Mark 6's and take on the breach." Her voice was clipped, matter-of-fact. Chuck was only half surprised.

"I didn't realize jockeying was in your wheelhouse. Aren't you a bit small?" He stated, a drip of sarcasm in his voice. He couldn't help it.

"There are a lot of things you don't know about me Mr. Hansen." He immediately knew he had offended her, but didn't know how to go about fixing it, so when she picked up one of her books and began reading as the helicopter took off he kept his mouth shut. _Now you've done it, so much for having someone to talk to. _ In turn she didn't give him any satisfaction in a snide remark or angry expression. Her dismissal of him said enough, and that was worse than her being outwardly furious with him.

* * *

They made land in Los Angeles to refuel and stretch their legs. Neither Herc nor Marlena had made any attempt to talk to Chuck for the duration of the flight, leaving him feeling frustrated for one, but also like he was a kid again and in trouble. They shuffled out of the bird, all of them sore from the cramped space and bumpy turbulence from flying through a small tropical storm.

"Marlena," Chuck called out, hoping she'd stop. She did, turned around slowly and crossed her arms, waiting for him to speak. He picked up his pace to meet up with her and felt that subtle but persistent magnetic-like attraction towards her that occurred whenever they were in close proximity, which he found peculiar to say the least.

"Yes?" Her body language was defensive, expelling a tough don't-mess-with-me vibe that Chuck assumed kept most people at bay despite her size and otherwise inviting features.

"About earlier, I'm sorry. I didn't mean that." She softened immediately, her hard gaze was replaced with a mischievous glint in her eye and a devilish smile. _Well, at least she doesn't hold a grudge_. She locked eyes with him and took a step forward, closing that gap between them.

"Underestimating me will be your mistake." His eyebrows shot up and he mirrored her playful smile. The draw to her intensified, driving him towards something he didn't understand. He wondered if she felt it too, or if it was just the medication he was on.

"I guess we'll see about that." They both turned to get back to the aircraft to find Herc pale faced like he was about to be sick. A radio sat in his slack hand, threatening to fall out.

"What's going on?" They asked at once.

"Kaiju.. slunk up the English Channel and hit London. I just found out.. they weren't able to radio in through that storm we passed..." He trailed off.

Chuck knew his father well enough to know what that look meant- that it was bad, thousands were probably dead. The group stood in stunned silence before he continued.

"The UK.. their Jaegers aren't finished yet. They made the decision to try and fly Raleigh and Mako over instead of going nuclear because theirs is ready for deployment.. but before they were lifted out the thing _exploded._ It self-destructed itself, and it's blood wasn't the only thing they had to worry about. It was filled with acid... like some kind of blasted Malaysian ant. Destroyed 70% of the city. Just melted it. They were able to evacuate most of the citizens but the blast reached way farther than anyone could have guessed.. 2 million dead that we know of." Despite being unflappable for the most part, Herc's hands were shaking, and Chuck's head was reeling. Monsters crashing through cities was one thing, but living _bombs? _That was way over everyone's heads. They stood for a minute, letting it sink in when Marlena's voice quietly piped up.

"I bet they learned that from Gipsy."

"What?" The Hansens spat out.

"Gipsy Danger. When she went into the breach and exploded, it destroyed it. They have a hive mind and they just used our technique against us. They're adapting. We're going to have to be more careful." She pointed out like it was obvious, like she couldn't understand why no one else made the connection sooner. Chuck exchanged a look with Herc and noted that thought hadn't occurred to him either. They made an unspoken agreement to get back in the helicopter and get a move on.

"Clever girl..." He heard Herc mutter under his breath before stepping in behind his son to get in place. They sat in silence as the bird rose up, each soaking in the news and handling it in their own way. Marlena grabbed a notebook and began scribbling into it furiously, eyebrows hunched in concentration. It piqued Chuck's interest but he thought it better to wait rather than press her now. Instead he sat back and made his own theories on what was coming next, and what he could do to prepare for it.

* * *

It was raining in New York City.

The helicopter landed hard, jarring all the passengers inside. They collectively groaned, exhausted from the trip physically and mentally. Chuck peeked out through his small window, trying to get a better look of the city through the mist. It wasn't his first time in America, but it was his first time in a city like this, and despite everything he was a little excited about being here even though he knew he'd probably never get a good view of it. You always hear things about New York City, no matter where you're from. The door opened and Chuck slung his duffle over his shoulder then grabbed Max's leash, eager to get out of there where he was immediately bombarded with reporters and other miscellaneous paparazzi. Marlena exited shortly after, her excited look quickly turned sour at the sight of the hoards of people. They must have been waiting for them to arrive. How they knew, Chuck couldn't say but these parasites always had a way of digging dirt up. Not only were they here to get information on the recent attack, Chuck realized they hadn't released a statement since he had risen out of the coma. They were about to have a field day. A slew of questions rang out from every direction, and while he normally enjoyed the media attention Chuck was really not in the mood.

Herc stepped out of the helicopter and had a brief look of disgust before he put on his 'Marshal mask'. They were close to the shatterdome entrance, but between the attack and the place not being finished yet security was lacking and now the mob was too big to control effectively.

"I don't have any comment until I get the full report on what happened in London. That's all." Herc said evenly, trying to force his way through the crowd without socking someone in the face like Chuck could tell he desperately wanted to. Then the topic turned to him.

_"But what about your son, Chuck?_"

_"Are you going to pilot with him again in the Australian Jaeger?"_

_"Is he even going to be able to without a leg and arm?"_

_"Give us a look at the nubs, man!" _That pissed him off. 2 million people had just been killed and this vulture was interested in his scars? Chuck scanned the crowd and found the voices owner. A young man- stringy, dirty, and rattish in nature. He was in an ugly orange poncho, with a cigarette hanging out of his mouth and a cheap recorder hanging in his hand. Anger boiled up inside of Chuck and he decided to take that trash out one handed. He took a few purposeful steps towards him. The man noticed his look and tried to sink into the crowd, to get out of sight. The rest of the group noticed what was about to happen and aimed their cameras for the show. Chuck was too irritated to give a damn.

"Hey!" Marlena shouted out from somewhere behind him. Her voice was cold, commanding. The reporters turned their attention to her, and Chuck stopped in his tracks to see where she was going with this.

"I'm ranger Hansen's physician, and I can attest he will be fine to pilot. If any of you have questions pertaining to his health, you can talk to me." Her voice was like nails against chalkboard to them, and when he looked back she was staring at the group in such a way that if looks could kill, every single one of them would be a puddle of gore at her feet. They hesitated for a moment, not knowing who this girl was or where she had come from, if her information was accurate, but the hesitation gave her enough time to catch up with Chuck and they pushed their way past the group. They were reporters though, and it didn't stop them for more than a few seconds though and they were at it again, but it was enough time for them to scuttle past and rush into the shatterdome.

The three threw themselves into the elevator and relaxed. Chuck was still fuming even though he knew it was a waste of energy to be upset with those idiots. He had almost let them win today. The doors dinged open and a man was there waiting for them, tablet in hand. He nodded to each of them.

"Marshal Hansen, Ranger Hansen, Dr. Krashinko. Welcome to the New York Shatterdome. I'll show you to your rooms, and i'll give you a tour tomorrow."

The man led Herc to his office where he offered a gruff farewell but didn't give them any orders. Too much on his mind, Chuck assumed. The attendant led them down a different corridor where the living quarters were, taking them to their respective rooms. He noticed two things before passing into a deep sleep. First, that the doors were a lot lighter, more like a hotel room door instead of the submarine exit type he was used to. Then secondly, the bed was a hell of a lot more comfortable too.

**A/N: Hi everyone and thank you so much for reading and sticking with this story! Don't be afraid to leave comments or reviews, they really make my day. Do you like it? :D Hate it? D: Let me know! I know it's been a little slow getting started but I wanted to make sure the stage was set for everything. Now i'll really be able to let my imagination run unchecked ;] .**


	8. Chapter 8

**Raleigh:**

Raleigh had already put on the white and red drivesuit that matched the newest Mark 6. As he made his way to the conn-pod he felt that old spark of anticipation, walked with the same swagger he and Yancy used to have. Despite the morbid circumstances he was excited to Drift. It wasn't something you could explain. The rawness and the intimacy it created was something unparalleled in the natural world, and it had it's perks. It became something you almost started to crave, especially when your partner was the incredible Mako Mori. Today would be as close to 'fun' as they could get. No danger, no lives at stake, just a test ride.

Phantom Sabre. He had met her the past week when they were meant to deploy to London. Suited up, even before the city was blown to bits. A shudder ran up his spine as he recalled all the reports and videos of the destruction. Herc had been up to his eyeballs with press and damage control. Granted he still was, but this was the first day in 8 that the man had a spare minute to supervise the test run.

Although his heart would always hold a special place for Gipsy, he had to admit Phantom was a spectacular piece of work. She was taller than the previous models, made to handle larger Kaiju. Despite that, the mech remained very lithe looking. Stealthy. Deadly. If he had to compare it to a human equivalent, Phantom was an assassin. Raleigh could only be thankful that the technology never stopped being developed. That _everyone_ didn't give up and spend every effort on the wall.

Don't even get him started on the damn wall.

He stepped into the conn-pod. _The damn thing even smelled new_. The suits, the body, the pod... not a scratch to be seen. As silly as it was, it was unnerving being in such a new machine. It seemed like a lifetime ago that Gipsy had made it off the assembly line, and in some ways he guessed it had been. He stepped to his side, examining the controls and breathing a sigh of relief when he saw the systems weren't different. The conn-pod itself hadn't gone through many changes, a majority of the controls were voice or touch activated rather than buttons or switches, the instrument clusters a little easier to read- the basics.

Mako entered as he was finishing up and gave him a warm smile. Not only could he see the excitement buzzing inside her, he could feel it as well- compliments of the ghost drift. He had shared the same phenomenon with Yancy, but from what was understood it was a relatively rare thing.

"Ready?" She asked. Not having a job or a Jaeger for nearly 4 1/2 months had driven them a little crazy. He was more than ready. It was hard sitting in the shatterdome day in and out with nothing to do. Well, not _nothing_ to do, if you caught his 'drift'. Raleigh caught the flash of red along her jaw that replaced the deep blue as she put on her helmet. She had chosen red for vengeance, for Stacker, and to represent that little shoe she kept on her nightstand. Ironically, it matched Phantom as well. He responded with a slight nod and fastened his helmet as well, stepping into position and connecting himself to the system. They kept it professional even though it was no secret they had rolled out of the same bed together not 2 hours ago.

"Morning Mr. Choi!" Raleigh called out into the intercom.

"How's it going Becket boy? Miss Mori? How do you like your ride?" The screen in front of them lit up, and the pod started to whir.

"She's a beaut Tendo. We're ready to take her on a Sunday drive."

"Initiating neural handshake in 10...9..." The countdown flashed in front of them and Raleigh took a deep breath to remain focused. The familiar but uncomfortable tingle started at the base of his spine and spread down each leg, then worked it's way up into both arms, and finally reached his head. It crept through him and laid over his brain like a wet blanket, and no matter how many times you drifted there was an instinct to push it away. The countdown reached 1 and the sensation enveloped his frontal lobe, and he was suddenly shot backwards into a meld of he and Mako's memories.

It's said before you die you'll see your life flash before your eyes. This is the closest Raleigh could come to explain the Drift.

_He's in Budapest with Yancy. They're exploring an abandoned warehouse in their home-made superhero costumes. Yancy is a lot better at jumping across the piles of ruins yancyisalotbetteratmostthings and Raleigh trips and is falling..._

_But he's sitting in front of a middle aged Japanese man who is cradling a katana like a newborn child and he hands it down and shows me how to hold it .. _Mako. That's Mako's.

_His first sloppy kiss with a girl named Mary 48 hours after K-Day. She smells like the cigarettes she stole from her dad and he hatesit because momhascancerfromthose but he keeps kissing her because it's the most normal thing he can cling to since aliens attacked._

_Mako again. A little older__, trotting to keep up with Stacker's long steps. It's her first day here and she doesn't want to be a burden. Raleigh recognizes a younger Herc in that same Lucky 7 vest discussing strategy. The strong and steady man he knows today looks distressed, distraught. Devastated would probably be a better word A sad boy is behind him clutching a plastic race car. Mako extends a tiny hand_

_'Hi i'm Mako' that's about the extent of english she knows._

_The boy looks up at his father for direction but Herc is deep in conversation and ignores the tug on his shirt. The boy stands straighter like he has something to prove and reaches his hand out to shake hers._

_'Hi i'm Charles Hansen.' He has a strange accent she's never heard that makes it hard to catch his words. She thinks he looks like hes been crying for days but doesn't say anything thatwouldberude_

_Knifehead has just speared Gipsy though her center and Raleighs whole body is on fire with pain. It rips through the conn-pod howdiditknowtheyreinhere and Yancy is being ripped out and his brain is screaming because half is missing itstoomuch toomuchto_

_'Raleigh listen to me...' He's yelling tryingtogetitout_

_'Raleigh LISTEN TO ME' But thats not Yancy it's Mako and he pulls away up to the surface, catching glimpses of other memories. Most are random, meaningless. _

"Neural handshake initiated and holding."

In reality, the sync only takes a matter of seconds, but time works different in headspace. Raleigh's head feels clammy from the Drift but he feels Mako there, and Mako is a comforting warmth around his consciousness. If Raleigh was a ship lost at sea, Mako was the lighthouse that guided him home.

Sirens began going off around the shatterdome as Phantom slid forward on it's track to the ocean. He catches a short glimpse of Lupa Bellator, the Brazilian Jaeger that had arrived just yesterday. Large double doors open in front of them to reveal a beautiful sunny morning, the sun just making it's way over the horizon. The track leads to the waters edge and releases it's hold. The AI comes over the intercom.

"Ready to activate the Jaeger in 3...2..1.."

Signals flash on the screen and the mech hums to life. The pair takes a collective step forward and Phantom matches it with barely any delay. They continue further out into the surf, reveling in how much easier the Mark 6 is to navigate. It takes hardly any effort to step or raise an arm.

"Alright, ready to hear about your new toys?" Tendo asks from LOCCENT.

"You know it." Raleigh looks over to Mako who is fussing with the controls. He can hear her in the headspace, taking inventory of the different systems and going through other mental checklists only another engineer could hope to keep up with. Her mind contained immeasurable amounts of information on Jaeger parts and programs, different tools and weaponry, fighting techniques and defense mechanisms.

"The left hand is equipped with a plasma cannon, reaction time increased by 30% vs Gipsy's. Twin retractable swords..." He cut off, leaving the sound of ruffling papers in it's wake. "Looks like they're heated actually, for immediate cauterization. Lastly-" He paused again, longer this time. "I'm not so sure about this. It was a recent addition- says Newt designed it? A biological weapon.. you can emit a frequency that is supposed to stun a kaiju for a, and I quote, 'certain amount of time.' That's his note."

_Interesting... _He thought, and Mako mirrored his curiosity. There was no point in testing it now without a victim, so instead they released the heated swords. A blade fell from each wrist, shorter than the chain sword but seemingly sharper, and slightly curved. You could see the difference in temperature from the infrared screen in the conn-pod, the blades glowing white hot. They relaxed an arm and let it fall to the sea, and the surrounding water began boiling almost immediately.

"I think she'll do Tendo. We're on our way back."

* * *

Raleigh stood under the Brazilian Jaeger's slate grey leg, admiring the craftsmanship. He had headed down immediately after their test run, promising to meet up with Mako later to eat. He hadn't even taken off the drive-suit.

"Like our wedding gift?" An unfamiliar voice came from behind. He turned around to find a stunning olive skinned woman with hazel eyes so light they could be mistaken for a shade of gold.

"What?" He asked. An equally beautiful woman seemed to materialize beside the first. Dark eyed with bleached blonde hair that she hadn't bothered to touch up for a while. She had an unfinished look to her compared to the first. They stood with their arms folded across their chests, their lips parted in cheshire grins.

"Yasmin-"

"And Izabelle Torres."

"We're the pilots of Lupa Bellator." They explained at once, motioning to the machine. "Know what that means? She-wolf warrior." Yasmin continued. Her voice was slow and her accent thick, making her words hover in the air like smoke. "In latin. I think we're one of the first all-female teams in quite some time." The second one, Izabelle spoke in such a manner that led her to stumble over her words as though her mind moved faster than her mouth could spit words out.

"Oh! Nice to meet you. I'm Raleigh." He offered a hand to shake but neither woman made a move to take it.

"We know who you are." They responded in a flatly, not giving any indication as to whether that was a good or bad thing.

"So.. a Jaeger was your wedding gift? That has to be a first." He tried as an icebreaker, dropping his hand back to his side.

"That.. was obviously a joke." Yasmin purred, turning her attention away from Raleigh and towards Izabelle. "But we are newlyweds."

"Congratulations." Raleigh offered. However they were in their own world, engrossed with eachother. They exhibited an unspoken devotion towards one another that reminded him of the Kaidanovsky's. The two gave their Jaeger's foot a pat and sauntered off hand in hand without offering a goodbye. He could only shrug to himself and continue on his way to breakfast.

* * *

"Why don't you sit with us today?" Raleigh was behind Marlena in the line for food. She normally sat by herself at the end of the mess hall, as far away from everyone as she could get. It wasn't the first time he'd asked her to join their table, but she would always politely decline. He didn't think it had anything to do with not knowing anyone- she was familiar with most of the hospital staff who transferred from Hong Kong, and had been in the PPDC long enough to surely have made some type of acquaintances. He figured she just preferred to be alone.

"Sure. Why not?" He flashed her a smile, pleasantly surprised. They grabbed their meals and walked out. Mako had gotten a table early and was going through a list of prospective pilots based on personality testing. She had been put in charge of scheduling fights and it had kept her (and Raleigh) up for most of the past two nights. He took a seat to her left and gave her a small peck on the cheek before digging in.

"Chuck has been pestering me about starting trials." She murmured to him as he took a swig of coffee.

"Why? He's only been awake for what, 12 days? Shouldn't he be in physical therapy or something?"

"Says a kaiju isn't going to wait for him to get better. You know how he is." Mako responded and picked up her tablet to enter more names to her calendar.

"You put that hand on him the other day right doc? You think he'd be okay to fight?" Raleigh turned his attention to Marlena. She looked up from her pancakes and shrugged.

"He's going to be weaker than normal. I know he's been working out to get in shape again but that obviously takes time... but with that cybernetic hand there's no reason not to try if he feels okay. The surgical site is probably about healed by now.. it's been 6 days."

"I heard you started calling him Darth Vader." She gave him a sheepish smile, pausing before opening her mouth to respond when a voice cut through their conversation.

"What for? Are you knocked up with his twins or something?" Raleigh recognized it before he looked up. Yasmin. Marlena nearly choked on her food.

"No..." She started slowly, trying to mask her annoyance. "Because his limbs are prosthetic."

"It was just a joke. I'm Yasmin by the way." She put her free hand up to gesture surrender and sat down. Her other half rounded the corner and sat down next to her but didn't have a tray. Instead she pulled a deck of cards out and began shuffling them.

"Hello, I'm Izabelle." She introduced herself without looking up. "Want to see a magic trick?" The crew obliged, and Raleigh had to admit she was pretty handy with the deck.

"Speak of the devil." Mako muttered and sure enough there was Chuck, walking past their table to sit with Medusa Dare's techs and his father. He looked much better from that day in the hospital room. He was back to wearing that arrogant mask again that Mako chalked up to compensating for his 'disability'. Raleigh agreed with her, but whether or not his condition could be considered a disability was a different discussion- the hand itself was two times stronger than a human one. The Brazilians looked from him to Marlena multiple times.

"You two _would_ make cute babies." Yasmin stated matter-of-factly.

"Um.. thanks, I think." Marlena's entire face was beet red. "But it's not like that, you could barely call us friends. I was just his doctor." That last bit wasn't exactly true. Raleigh had a shortcut to the gym that cut through the hospital wing, and Chuck had been keeping Marlena company during her part-time work every day. The man just seemed to deflate around her. Sometimes they were laughing together when he passed, others in deep conversation with their voices too low to make out any words. Chuck wasn't the type of guy to be that open with just anyone.

"So, have you taken your Jaeger out yet?" Raleigh interrupted, trying to change the subject to anything but the Australian for Marlena's sake.

"Nope. We just got here hardly 24 hours ago remember? Tomorrow."

"Hey want to see something funny?" Izabelle piped up out of no where. "I switched out that engineer's water with vodka." She pointed down a few seats to her unsuspecting victim. Everyone except Yasmin regarded her with a mix of shock and confusion.

"That kind of thing is going to get you kicked out of here." Mako remarked, clearly annoyed that her work kept being disturbed.

"Not if you aren't caught." She snapped back, her tone joking yet threatening. Yasmin smiled at her fondly and they stood up at once, walking in the direction of the engineer. The girl took a huge swig as they passed, and immediately started spitting the liquid out and sputtering all over her poor self. Izabelle looked back to wink at Mako, flashing her a wicked smile.

"Well they're certainly... interesting." Mako commented once they were well gone, their dossiers pulled up on her tablet. "Yasmin (Garcia) Torres.. joined the PPDC in 2023 as an engineer in LOCCENT. Exhibits a respect for command but her unique sense of humor and blunt personality causes friction in personal relationships between coworkers. Fiercely loyal to the cause, but can be unorthodox in her execution of missions. Seems to only be personable to her co-pilot Izabelle. Team was tested and sent to NYC with LB under Brazilian recommendation." She flicked to the next screen. "Izabelle Torres.. Joined the PPDC in 2023. Very creative, notably eccentric. Was a a street magician before joining the corps, and also dabbles in K-science after her parents. Accused of multiple small pranks throughout the shatter dome but no evidence has been found to support it was her. The actions have been deemed harmless and no action is to be taken (With the exception of the fire extinguisher incident). Psychology tests suggest her only loyalty is to her co-pilot rather than the cause, and that she is enrolled as a ranger to support her partner. Is surreptitious, and has a dirty but finessed fighting style."

"I honestly don't know what to think of them." Marlena said with a small smile, seemingly unphased. "Thanks for letting me sit with you this morning, i'm sure i'll see you both later." She picked up her tray and strode off towards the hospital wing, and sure enough a few minutes later Chuck was headed the same direction trying to be as nonchalant as possible. The pair watched him pass in silence.

"Are you thinking what i'm thinking?" Raleigh asked his partner.

"Pretty sure I am." Mako pulled up a new dossier on her tablet, the name 'Marlena Krashinko' in bold at the top.


End file.
